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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · fall · march · craft · bulb · mug · race · bass

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mug — a face
  3. march — the month
  4. craft — boats
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mug — a cup
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. race — the arms race
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mug — to rob
  11. race — humankind
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fall — the season
  16. race — a contest
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bass — low music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. march — the month
  22. craft — a skill
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com